Cusco and the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu

$1,288 – $1,625

Mt. Salkantay was one of the most sacred mountains to the Incas and this trek takes you get up close to the celebrated peak. Trek ends with a finale at Machu Picchu. This package includes time to enjoy the sites of Cusco and enough time to acclimatize.

Trip starts upon your arrival at the Cusco Airport. All international flights route through Lima. Depending on your flight schedule, you may need to overnight in Lima the night before your arrival in Cusco. A hotel in Lima can be added upon request.

Trip End

Trip ends at the Cusco Airport in time for you to catch your flights home, or continue on to the next part of your adventure.

Trip Segment or Complete Package?

This is a package that starts / ends with pick up / drop off from the Cusco Airport. It is meant to give you adequate time in Cusco and the Sacred Valley to properly acclimatize and see the highlights before hiking the Salkantay trek. Ends with a grand finale at Machu Picchu.
Depending on your international flights you may need to add a night in Lima prior to flying to Cusco. Flights are NOT included in pricing. Our partners Exito Travel can assist with your needed flights.

WHY THIS TRIP:
The Salkantay trek has been dubbed the “Alternative Inca Trail” because it is the second most popular trek in Peru. It’s even referred to as the backdoor to Machu Picchu. The true highlight of Apu Salkantay is the stunning scenery, considered by many to dwarf the views on the famous Inca Trail. Accommodation in Cusco, along with a Cusco city tour

DESCRIPTION:
This package starts with pick up from the Cusco Airport. You have 2 days to explore this vibrant city and highlights of the Sacred Valley while gaining the necessary time at elevation before starting out on your trek. The Salkantay trek traverses the high Andean plateau, hiking up passes as high as 15,585 ft. for an up-close view of the sacred Inca peak, Salkantay (20,598ft). The route then descends into the beautiful Aobamba valley with its tropical climate and vegetation. Passing through Andean towns, you also get a rare glimpse in traditional Peruvian mountain life where the dress, farming techniques, and customs have been preserved for hundreds of years.

At the end of the last trekking day, you take a short train ride to Aguas Calientes where you can soak your tired legs in the town’s famous thermal pools. The next morning, you get to visit Machu Picchu in the stunning early light away from the tourist crowds that arrive in the afternoon.

LOCAL OPERATOR: APUMAYO EXPEDICIONESApumayo Expediciones specializes in adventure travel and non-conventional tourism with a strong environmental and social agenda. It offers activities and tours for people with disabilities and supports Andean community projects, maximizing the positive effect of local tourism. A local Peruvian company based in the City of Cusco, Apumayo Expediciones combines culture, education and natural history into its adventure trips.

Upon arrival to Cusco´s airport, reception and transfer to the hotel.
Time to acclimatize to the altitude.

Cusco Accommodation: 3-star Hotel
Meals Included: None

DAY 2: Half Day Cusco City Tour

At 9:00am or 2:00pm (your choice); the guide will take you on a half day tour of Cusco. We will start by visiting the Cathedral. Built over 450 years ago, it contains a fine collection of paintings of the Cusqueñan School. After this, we will visit the Koricancha, the most sumptuous temple of the Inca culture, which was dedicated to worshiping the sun. Finally we will visit the ruins of Sacsayhuaman and its impressive rocky constructions, followed by Kenko, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay. Return to the hotel.

Cusco Accommodation: 3-star Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast

DAY 3: Sacred Valley: Pisac & Ollantaytambo

In the morning we will pick you up from your hotel and transfer to Pisac town, where you will visit the local market. Here is a good place to find unique and authentic souvenirs. Then, you will visit the archaeological place, this Inca site remains somewhat mysterious as to what their absolute purpose was, but it seems likely that they were part of a settlement along a vital Inca road with the Amazon rain forest to the east of the mountains, it is generally understood that Pisac provided a connecting point of sorts between the highlands and the jungle. As you explore the Pisac archaeological place, you will find that the views of the mountains and valleys are simply breath-taking. Together with the Inca site, the Pisac markets bring a good amount of visitors to town.

After this visit you will be transferred to the restaurant for lunch. After lunch, passengers will be transferred to Ollantaytambo which is one of the most beautiful, and significant, sites in the entire Cusco region and is rich with history that your guide will teach you about. It is a very interesting, and typical, pueblo with extensive, well preserved Inca ruins; we will visit the unfinished temples high above the village on the mountainside. It is one of the most impressive Imperial style complexes built by the Incas. Transfer to the hotel.

Cusco Accommodation: 3-star Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 4: Start Salkantay Trek: Mollepata to Soraypampa

At 06:00 a.m. the tour will start with private transport from the city of Cusco. We will pass the towns of Izcuchaca and Limatambo and after 2 hours drive we will arrive to Mollepata (2950m/9676ft) where we will stop for a short rest and have a coffee. Afterwards we will continue our drive (1 hour) towards the small settlement of Marcocasa at 3300m/10824ft. From here we start our first day of trek (5 hours) towards our camp at Soraypampa (3850m/12628ft) an Andean valley located at the foothills of the beautiful Mount Humantay (5910m/19385ft). On the way, you willenjoy fine views of the surrounding valleys of Curahuasi and Apurimac.

Accommodation: Camp
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 5: Salkantay Trek: Soraypampa to Huayracmachay

This morning our mules will be prepared and ready to transport our heavy equipment along the entire route. From Soraypampa we will start our 4 hour trek towards Soyrococha at 4400m/14432 where we will have our first lunch while enjoying great views of the impressive west face of mount Salcantay (6264m/20546ft).

After lunch, a 3 hours hike will take us down to our camp at Huayracmachay. On the way, we will first reach the Salcantay pass at 4750m/15580ft and then we will trek down to our camp at the Huayracmachay settlement. During our hike we will have the permanent view of the amazing mount Salcantay. If we are lucky enough we will be also able to observe the flight of the amazing condor bird known as the “King of the Andes”. During our descend from Salcantay pass we will also have the opportunity to observe the remains of an ancient Inca Trail, a road of approximately 6 meters wide. Camp at 3800m/12464ft.

Accommodation: Camp
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6: Salkantay Trek: Huayracmachay to Winaypoko

After a hearty breakfast, at 08:00 a.m. we will be ready to continue our 7 hours trek heading northeast down to the Colpapampa´s Valley (3200m/10496ft). Leaving the Huaracmachay plain very soon we will start an impressive descend into the deep canyon of the Salcantay river. The highland landscape suddenly turns into an amazing cloud forest with the typical grass, bushes and trees covered with beautiful bromelias. After 3 hours we will reach the small settlement of Challway and from here another 40 minutes-1 hour hike will take us to Colpapampa village where we will enjoy a hot lunch. From Colpapampa the Salcantay River turns into the Santa Teresa River. After a rest we will continue our descend to the shores of the Totora River where we can enjoy a soak in the nearby hot water springs. Then following along the north side of the Santa Teresa River we will continue (3 hours) until reaching our next camp at Winaypoko settlement (2800m/5904ft). Just 30 minutes before Winaypoko we will have the opportunity to observe the beautiful Coripacchi waterfalls.

In the evening, at our camp we will enjoy a good meal with some wine around a camp fire.

Accommodation: Camp
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 7: Salkantay Trek: Winaypoko to Hidroelectrica to Aguas Calientes

In our last trekking day, we will hike for 3 hours down to the place known as La Playa. This trek will take us along the north side of Santa Teresa River. On the way down, we will observe plantations of banana, coffee, granadillas (a typical fruit from the area), avocado trees, etc. The sound of parrot flocks will accompany us during the hike and on the river perhaps we will be able to observe the fast fly of king fisher.

At La Playa we will enjoy lunch, after this we will board the transportation to get to Santa Teresa; from here we will continue hiking until reaching La Hidroelectrica (operation area of the hydroelectric power plant). Here we will board the local train to the town of Aguas Calientes where we will arrive after a train ride of 1 hour. Then our guide will take you to your hotel for a well-deserved rest.

In our last day, an early morning wake up will be followed by breakfast in the hotel and then a public bus transport will take you up to the main entrance of the Machu Picchu City (2400m/7872ft). A guided tour will show you this beautiful Inca City, one of the most famous in the world. You will visit the Intihuatana, the temple of the 3 windows, the temple of the moon, the terraces, the ceremonial fountains, the sun gate and other sectors of the impressive citadel. In the afternoon, we take the public bus down to Aguas Calientes and you will return to Ollantaytambo (or Cusco) by train, from where our transport will take you back to Cusco. Transfer to your hotel.

Cusco Accommodation: 3-star Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast

DAY 9: Depart Cusco

Depending of your flight time, transfer to Cusco`s airport. End of services.

Meals Included: Breakfast

travel logistics

Getting To and From the Trip:

You will need to arrive in Cusco on Day 1 of this trip. You can arrive at any time this day, by flight, train, or bus. You will be met by your guide upon your arrival, and transferred to your hotel in Cusco.

All international flights to Cusco must route through Lima. Most likely, you will need to overnight in Lima the night before you fly to Cusco. We can help you arrange a hotel and transfer services upon your request.

At the end of this trip on Day 9, you will be transferred to the Cusco Airport, train station, or bus terminal in time for your departure. We can also help you add to your journey with trips to the Amazon, Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, or any other destination in South America.

We do not sell international or domestic Peru airfare but partner with a flight specialty company, Exito Travel, who can arrange all of your flights for you, simplifying the process of this part of your trip.

Trip Start: Trip starts upon your arrival at the Cusco Airport. All international flights route through Lima. Depending on your flight schedule, you may need to overnight in Lima the night before your arrival in Cusco. A hotel in Lima can be added upon request.

Trip End: Trip ends at the Cusco Airport in time for you to catch your flights home, or continue on to the next part of your adventure.

Complete Your Trip

This is a package that starts / ends with pick up / drop off from the Cusco Airport. It is meant to give you adequate time in Cusco and the Sacred Valley to properly acclimatize and see the highlights before hiking the Salkantay trek. Ends with a grand finale at Machu Picchu.

Depending on your international flights you may need to add a night in Lima prior to flying to Cusco. Flights are NOT included in pricing. Our partners Exito Travel can assist with your needed flights.

Prices & Dates

2018 PRICES:

For 2018 pricing, please inquire using the “I Am Interested” button above or by calling 1-866-386-4168.

2019 PRICES:

For 2019 pricing, please inquire using the “I am Interested” button above or by calling 1-866-386-4168.

2020 PRICES:

For 2020 pricing, please inquire using the “I am Interested” button above or by calling 1-866-386-4168.

Trip Dates:

2017 Group departures dates

May 17 – 25

June 14 – 22

July 12 – 20

August 16 – 24

September 6 – 14

October 18 – 26

November 8 – 16

Note: Group departures require a minimum of 2 travelers in order to operate.

Private departures available every day from April through November.

Family Trip Dates:

None

What's Included / Not Included

INCLUDED:

Tours:

Tourist transportation for the transfers

Tourist transportation for all the tours

Professional bilingual guide (English – Spanish)

Meals Mentioned in the itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)

Tourist tickets for all the tours (Cusco, Sacred Valley)

Salkantay trek + Machupicchu:

Orientation meeting in Cusco (previous to departure date).

Professional bilingual guide (English – Spanish)

Transfer put in and put off.

All balance meals during the trekking (5 days/4 nights), including snacks.

Note: Permits to hike Huayna Picchu Mountan or Machu Picchu Mountain are not automatically included in this trip. Before you confirm your trip to Machu Picchu, consider whether or not you want to do one of these hikes, and let us know what you decide. For more details: https://www.detourdestinations.com/blog/should-you-hike-huayna-picchu-mountain-or-machu-picchu-mountain

* Permit fees subject to change

Accommodations

Standard pricing includes 3-Star hotels in:

Cusco (3 nights)

Sacred Valley (1 night)

Machu Picchu (1 night)

And 3 nights camping while hiking the Salkantay Trek

Rooming Options

ROOMING OPTIONS: Double, Triple, Single, Single Supplement

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